And there I was thinking I would never see a live band playing down Guildhall Walk; the last place you would look for new acts. But there you go, a clear case that I need to expand my mind. Never before would I believe that they would start doing live acts in the Fuzzy Duck, the micro nightclub.

With some great Djing between the bands and before the gig itself, I started to think that I was in for something special. At the beginning of the gig, the venue was empty, save fore a few of the bands parents and immediate friends.

Seeing this did dampen my spirits for the bands sake. Playing in front of a crowd consisting of the other bands and your mum is an unwelcome experience, no matter how loudly your own mother can cheer.

How relieved I as when a small crowd began to pour in, making the place look less like I had just let one off. The first acct came on; a small group of casually dressed youngsters proclaiming themselves as ‘Hardly Heroes’. Hardly a massive turnout, but despite the low numbers, they played with heroic energy.

The songs they played had this familiar feel to them that get with pretty much any indie song that you hear at every local gig you have ever been to, but there was a tad more ‘oomph’ played that made this quite compelling to listen to. The front man seemed to be having a super time, but the rest of the band kept focusing at their shoes. Had they all been doing this, we could have been looking at a a nice little shoe gazer outfit, but it just came off as if the front man was the only member with any outstanding enthusiasm.

It just felt that the rest of the band could have got into the songs more; perhaps provide some nice backing vocals or just move to the music. In their defence, the stage was hardly huge, but that’s hardly and excuse. As the set went on, the singers banter became less confident and awkward at times before abandoning anything to say in between songs. The songs themselves later started to sound more or less the same and the riffs felt recycled from other bands.

Whilst the set seemed to go on and on and the the band seemed to be standing still on stage, they played tightly with a good amount of energy. Hardly Heroes; hardly memorable, but hardly bad. One to check on later as they develop.

Following Hardly Heroes were medicine, a similar band with a more pop punk side to them; this was clear upon looking at the lead singers attire and hair. This guy also had a lot of energy with a vocal style similar to most American teeny poppy punky bands you see on Kerrang. Again, this band had the same issue of staring at their instruments and leaving the showman ship to the front man.

Medicine played a tight set of mostly harmless songs that seemed to have less of an ‘oomph’ than the last band on, but it still was pleasant on the ear. It was a familiar sound that you can hardly go wrong with. I found myself being distracted from time to time by the frontman’s choice in custom guitar, a clear perspex fender. This amused me for a while.

Unfortunately, the banter was the opposite of that, with the lead singer awkwardly talking and being unsure of what to say. Improve on it or leave it out would be my advice to offer. They’re certainly not the cure, but there is some potential here.

The last band on really did tick all the boxes. A sound of distortion rumbled through the Fuzzy Duck as a smartly dressed front man stormed toward the stage and initiated the first song at the touch of a keyboard. Scholars really grabbed everyone’s attention. The front man abandoned the stage and thrashed around the audience. His mobility was something to behold.

Even the band were moving to the music; they really were having a great time and not stressing over focusing at their instruments. This is how a real band should play. The ftonman even strutted towards the bar mid song without seeming like an alcoholic. Marvellous! The energy kept on going and the place was almost packed by this point, some of which had come just to see Scholars.

Their music was by far the heaviest of the night, similar in style to that of early Lost Prophets with twice the aggressive vocals. Speaking of vocals, the rest of the band joined in. Another box ticked. Great sound. A tonne of energy. Booking charisma. There is nothing else to say except to keep an eye on this band; they are gong places.